Kópasker

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Located comfortably close to Ásbyrgi and Dettifoss, Kópasker hostel is closer to many fantastic attractions than one might think

Kópasker is a small village in the north-east part of Iceland. It´s economy is built around services for the surrounding sheepfarms. The Hostel is located in the centre of the town with all necessary services close by. Appr. 33 km from Kópasker is Ásbyrgi which is part of the National Park Jökulsárgljúfur. In the National Park are many interesting places like Hljóðaklettur and Forvöð. Dettifoss is the most powerful waterfall in Europe, but there are also smaller waterfalls in Jökulsá, like Hafragilsfoss and Vígabergsfoss. Many species of birds are found in Melrakkaslétta. Rauðinúpur (which is 30 km from Kópasker hostel) is an ideal place for bird watchers. Best time of the year to observe the birds are in May and September/October. At Snartastaðir there is a very good folk museum.

Opening times

Opening times (daily/weekly): The reception is open 16-21 Opening times (over the year): 1 May - 15 October

Bed Capacity

Directions

Bus:

A bus goes from Akureyri to Kópasker and Þórshöfn three days a week (Monday, Wednesday and Friday).

Parking:

At or near hostel

Location:

Located in the north eastern part of Iceland

Attractions

Museums

One of the specialities of the Folk Museum by Snartarstaðir is the quantity of textiles of many kinds, most of them from the 19.th and the first 30 years of the twentieth century. Here you can see women’s best clothes, home made textiles, embroideries, such as covers, collars and women's underwear.

National Parks

Ásbyrgi canyon lies in the north of Iceland, not far from Kópasker. The horseshoe-shaped depression is part of the Jökulsárgljúfur National Park and measures approximately 3.5 km in length and 1.1 km across. For more than half of its length, the canyon is divided through the middle by a distinctive rock formation 25 meters high called Eyjan ("the Island"), from which hikers may enjoy spectacular views. The legend explains the unusual shape of the canyon differently. Nicknamed Sleipnir's footprint, it is said that the canyon was formed when Odin's eight-legged horse, Sleipnir, touched one of its feet to the ground here. Legend also relates that the canyon is the capital city of the "hidden people" (huldufólk), who live in cracks within the surrounding cliffs.

The canyons of Jökulsá are one of the biggest canyons in Iceland and undeniably the most diverse in structure and form. They reach 25 km, the are 0,5 km wide and in many places well over a 100 meters. The canyons are said to have been forged in a catastrofic glacier burst leaving behind magnificent work of art chiseled out by Mother Nature.

High North

Hraunhafnartangi is on Melrakkaslétta and was for some time considered the northest site in the country ( 66°32’3’’N ). The latest measurements show however that Rifstangi reaches slightly farther north. The north polar circle is only 3 km of shore at Hraunhafnartangi.

Waterfalls

Dettifoss is a waterfall in Jökulsárgljúfur National Park of Northeast Iceland, not far from Mývatn. It is situated on the Jökulsá á Fjöllum river, which flows from the Vatnajökull glacier and collects water from a large area in Northeast Iceland. The falls are 100 m wide and have a drop of 44 m down to the Jökulsárgljúfur canyon. It is the largest waterfall in Europe in terms of volume discharge, having an average water flow of 200 m3/s.